Ulster University distances itself from report which claims £226m can be saved annually by eliminating division in education

The briefing paper, released on 31 March, concluded that the total cost of division in educational sectors in NI was £226m. It said that "division, separation and duplication all add unnecessary and increasingly unaffordable costs". The paper was part funded by the Integrated Education Fund.

The Controlled Schools Support Council (CSSC) expressed concern that the paper "is being quoted by senior decision makers as definitive and being used to undermine the argument for fair funding for schools in Northern Ireland".

It added that the paper provides headline figures which are "becoming part of the public narrative without peer-review or collaborative discussion”.

Yesterday the Department of Education issued a statement saying it agreed with CSSC’s analysis, and concluded that the paper is "flawed and over simplified analysis of complex education issues that is misleading at a time when education for children and young people in Northern Ireland is seriously underfunded.”

DUP Education Spokesperson Diane Dodds welcomed the critique of the report by the CSSC.

"Previous such reports have proven to be grossly inaccurate with eye-catching figures not standing up to scrutiny, and being very much theoretical rather than based in any reality," she said.

An Ulster University spokesperson told the News Letter: "This report is not reflective of the views of the University. It is a position paper which is not based on primary research conducted at the University but represents the personal opinion of the independent authors. While we support the right and freedom of academics to publish reports such as these, we have requested that the incorrect use of the University’s logo is remedied through its removal from this report."